Gene Kirzhner, Author at CrownSource

PREPARING YOUR WORKPLACE FOR WINTER WEATHER

Six Tips To Prep Your Facilities For Winter

Winter weather will be upon us before we know it. Is your facility prepared to weather the winter season? From deicing options to technology considerations during power outages, Staples has created a helpful checklist of six tips to reduce the impact of harsh winter weather on facilities and buildings:

1. Prevent slip-and-fall accidents: Winter weather can be dangerous, so maintaining your facility’s grounds for pedestrians and vehicles is a priority. Find the right deicer that removes snow and ice from walkways, parking lots, roads and pedestrian pathways without harming surfaces, people or animals. Applying them in advance of storms will reduce risk and improve the safety of those at your facility.

2. Know your products. Knowing the basic chemistry of products and how they can affect your facility is important. For example, not all deicers are created equally – you need to know what’s in them to determine their effectiveness, hazard traits and pollution potential. It’s important to understand safe use, storage, handling and disposal. Consider the impact certain deicers may have on walkways, interior surfaces, and vegetation. Proper usage and evaluation of chemicals can minimize damage.

3. Understand total cost. Knowing your products will help you understand total cost of ownership. For instance, while sodium chloride (rock salt) is commonly used and less expensive per pound, it can be a relatively inefficient deicer and harmful to concrete, stone surfaces and vegetation. Additionally, potentially damaging products may mean added labor costs and surface replacements or repairs both outside and inside your facility.

4. Safeguard your indoor environmental quality. Cold temperatures force facility managers to create tightly sealed indoor environments until spring. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), levels of contaminants and pollutants in indoor air are between 3 and 5 times higher than outdoor air. Use cleaning, breakroom, maintenance and office supplies that don’t emit vapors or distribute contaminants, especially during winter, to prevent accumulation and build-up of contaminants in the indoor air.

5. Ensure the safety of your technology/data. Power outages can happen when inclement weather strikes. Make sure you regularly back up company data, either through a hosted, off-site service or onsite. It’s also important to check that your back-up system is working properly prior to when a potential storm hits.

6. Implement a telecommuting program. Winter storms can affect an employee’s ability to get to work, so it’s important to have a telecommuting policy in place. This includes making sure your staff has the proper equipment to do their job effectively from home. If you already have a telecommuting policy, be sure to remind employees to utilize it during winter.

As a CrownSource customer, you have access to deep discounts on all the winterizing products you need – like deicers, shovels, safety vests, gloves – to keep your operations running smoothly whatever the cold weather brings. Login to our eProcurement Platform, CrownConnect, to see all our facility maintenance and safety products. Not a customer? Schedule a demo now.

Three Filters Needed to Reduce Emissions for Your Fleet

How DOC, DPF and SCR Filters Help Diesel Engines Perform

Emission standards have led to the need for technology that reduces emissions in large engines. Equally important is the need for these standards to be met while maintaining the power and performance of diesel engines. In order to accomplish this, more than one filter is required. To be more specific, three filters are required.

So, what are the differences between Diesel Oxidation Catalysts (DOC), Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF) and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) catalysts? The most significant difference between these filters is each one’s purpose in the removal of particulates and harmful gases.

The DOC is the first filter in the diesel exhaust after-treatment system and is a flow through filter containing precious metals that begin to oxidate hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and unburned fuel and oil. It, like the DPF, is a honeycomb ceramic filter. The DOC differs from the DPF in that the DPF is a wall-flow filter that traps remaining soot that the DOC could not oxidize. The soot remains in the DPF until is regenerated either through passive or active regeneration.

Back pressure will return to normal when soot is gone. Ash, however, doesn’t burn or oxidize and will remain until removed. Ash consists of metals, minerals and other trace elements from the breakdown of additives, lubricants and engine wear. While ash will build at a much slower rate than soot, it will cause major problems—increased back pressure, fuel consumption and DPF failure-if ignored. It also will increase the number of active regenerations. This can lead to extremely high temperatures and poor fuel economy. Plus, constant back pressure can negatively impact the turbo charger. Finally, the longer that ash is left in the DPF, the more likely it is to harden and close off part of the filter. Shorter intervals between regenerations is an indication that ash build up is occurring and that the DPF should be cleaned.

The final component in the after-treatment system is the flow through SCR catalyst. The SCR introduces diesel emissions fluid. This fluid contributes to the further break down of nitrogen oxides that pass through to the SCR filter.

All of these filters are in different locations, but each can become congested. Blockages in any of the systems can cause significant and costly issues including damage to the exhaust system and particulate matter entering the environment.

As a CrownSource customer, you have access to deep discounts on the parts you need – like DPFs, DOCs, and SCR filters – to keep your fleet running smoothly. Login to our eProcurement Platform, CrownConnect, to see all our aftermarket parts that meet OEM specs. Not a customer? Schedule a demo now.

10 Tips to Help Prevent Cold Temperature Operability Problems!

Get your fleet ready for winter weather:

Pump water bottoms from storage tanks.
Use Tank Dri* to remove any remaining water and condition vehicle saddle tanks.
Kill microbial growth with BioGuard fuel microbiocide.
Remove water and sediment from vehicle fuel tanks.
Install new fuel filters.
Consider using larger mesh fuel filters in very cold climates.
Discontinue mixing used motor oil into the fuel.
Drain water separators often.
Use low cloud point No. 2 that is responsive to antigel additives.
Use ValvTect Diesel Guard Antigel/Deicer additives at recommended levels from November 1 through March 15.

*What is Tank Dri? Tank Dri, a ValvTect product, is a vital part of your overall winter preventative maintenance. Tank Dri safely removes trace water in your bulk storage tank and helps eliminate corrosion while preventing fuel line freezing.

As a CrownSource customer, you have access to deep discounts on the products you need – like Tank Dri, BioGuard and Diesel Guard – to keep your fleet running smoothly. Login to CrownConnect to order. Not a customer? Sign up now.

CrownSource Goes The Extra Mile

In this July 2018 Extra-Mile article, CrownSource founders, Todd Koca and Keith Rawson, share how the idea of their B2B total cost management solution company came to fruition. They also discuss the importance of their three-pronged solution for small-to-mid-sized transportation companies and why the timing of their eCommerce Marketplace and eProcurement Platform, CrownConnect, is critical for this hyper-fragmented industry.

You can read the full article HERE.

Why CrownSource?

The trucking industry is large, competitive, highly fragmented, and runs on thin margins. More than 99% of the nearly 90,000 For-Hire, Heavy Class 7,8 trucking companies have fewer than 1,000 trucks in their fleet. In this landscape, trucking companies lack buying power, have limited procurement expertise and experience, and have little-to-no technology infrastructure to effectively drive down their individual cost. CrownSource exists to transform the procurement of supplies and services across the trucking industry, regardless of company size by directly addressing and eliminating these obstacles. The top priority of CrownSource is to more efficiently and effectively deliver meaningful savings across the products and services a trucking company purchases every day.

Our foundation is simple, we deliver our buying power to trucking companies through our Membership Purchasing Network and CrownConnect, a dedicated eCommerce/eProcurement technology platform. On their own, trucking companies lack buying power; most leading suppliers and manufacturers don’t focus their efforts on this industry due to the hyper fragmented landscape. A Purchasing Network, like CrownSource, unites a powerful contingent of companies while each individual member maintains their autonomy. Through the strength of our membership and our decades of procurement expertise, we’re able to deliver unprecedented savings to each and every member, on every purchase, every day.

CrownSource doesn’t just help you spend less on supplies, we create efficiencies across your organization. Through our ongoing sourcing and contracting processes, we deliver over 2 million products and services at discounted pricing to our members through CrownConnect. Our world-class, single eCommerce Marketplace and eProcurement platform provides a one-stop shopping experience for our members. This simple, high-quality user experience makes your employees more efficient, in addition to its direct impact on your profitability. Procurement no longer consists of navigating multiple websites or product catalogs, calling or faxing orders, time consuming trips to retail and “big box” stores, and dedicating time to searching out the lowest price on must-buy items; instead employees can navigate one website with low-cost options across suppliers and manufacturers. CrownConnect also streamlines purchasing for organizations with multiple locations and purchasers with a centralized purchasing platform. Moreover, CrownConnect offers a multitude of management controls, such as pre-purchase approvals which eliminate rogue spending to allow for more effective spend management. Consistent, repeatable purchases across occasions or locations leads to lower prices and more savings.

You deserve a partner that delivers more, for less. CrownSource leverages its industry expertise, contracting experience, and supplier relationships to deliver our trucking company members bigger savings from leading suppliers and manufacturers. When you use CrownConnect you save more on supplies. CrownConnect is modern, easy, convenient, and cost effective. Sign up and save.

Ready for more? Schedule time to talk to us today.

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